It can be tough to put together a tasty and healthy meal on a busy weeknight, but these three recipes take less than an hour to prepare and have lots of healthy ingredients that the whole family can enjoy -- perfect for school-nights!
Chicken Fajitas
- What You’ll Need:
- 3 bell peppers (sliced)
- Half an onion (sliced)
- 2 chicken breasts (sliced)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons Fajita seasoning
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas, or lettuce wraps
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- How to Make Them:
- Preheat the oven to 415°F.
- Place the bell peppers and onions onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, while you slice the chicken.
- Place the chicken on the pan and drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle on the Fajita seasoning. Toss to coat.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are fork tender.
- Make sure to stir the vegetables about half way through and drain off any excess liquid from the pan around
- Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy with a flour tortilla or salad (if you want to limit carbs)
Zucchini Parmesan
- What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 zucchinis thinly sliced to 1/4-inch thick rounds
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley OR basil leaves
- How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine Panko and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Working in batches, dredge zucchini rounds in flour, dip into eggs, then cover in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
- Place zucchini in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until tender and golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.
- Top with marinara and mozzarella and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve immediately
Guilt-Free Fish & Chips
- What You’ll Need:
- 6 tablespoons olive oil (you may need a little extra, too)
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes (3 large or 6 medium), unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds firm-fleshed white fish fillets (like haddock, halibut, flounder, cod), skins removed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- Tartar sauce, to serve
- How to Make Them:
- Heat the oven to 450F. Arrange 2 oven racks in the top and bottom third of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and coat with olive oil or with nonstick cooking spray.
- Quarter the potatoes lengthwise, then cut each quarter in half again so you get 8 spears from each potato.
- In a bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread the potatoes on one of the baking sheets with their wedges pointing up, if possible, so the cut sides are exposed.
- Roast the spears on the lower rack in the oven for 40 minutes. Rotate the pan partway through (after 20 minutes of cooking) and use a wide metal spatula to stir the potatoes.
- Once the potatoes are in the oven, start on the panko and the fish. To toast the panko, warm a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the panko (no oil needed) and reduce heat to medium.
- Slowly toast the panko, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until a deep golden brown.
- Remove the skillet from heat. Stir 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper into the panko breadcrumbs until they are well coated. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow bowl.
- Cut the fish into large strips ("fingers") or big 3-inch pieces, however you prefer. Rub all the pieces with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Coat the fish with panko so the pieces are coated all over. Set the fish on the second baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.
- When the potatoes are 15 to 20 minutes away from being done, bake the fish: Cook thick (2-inch) fish fillets for 15 to 18 minutes and thinner (1 1/2-inch or thinner) fillets for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the fish is firm and the coating is starting to brown.
- Serve with lemon and tartar sauce.